I was recently told, by a quilting instructor that fabrics today are not "cured" for more than an hour (at one time it was 2 days) so that all cottons should be pre-washed to be sure of no surprises in your finished quilt. So, now I do, and I have found that if you get the fabric right out of the drier before it is totally dry, and smooth it out, there is very little ironing required,